With Leicester’s Christmas festivities due to get into full swing this week, visitors can take advantage of a number of ways to travel into the city.

Leicester City Council has highlighted the ways that visitors can get into the city for less, including free parking during the evenings.

Visitors coming into the city for a spot of late-night shopping can make the most of free evening parking at the city council's Newarke Street and Haymarket car parks after 5pm, running every day until Friday, December 28.

Many of the council's on-street pay and display parking spaces are also free to use after 6pm, with many others offering reduced evening rates.

However there are alternatives for people who want to forget about parking and concentrate on shopping, dining and making the most of the city’s Christmas offering.

Park and Ride

Leicester Park and Ride

Extended Park and Ride services from the three sites at Birstall, Enderby and Meynells Gorse will be running throughout the festive period, thanks to additional funding from Leicester’s Business Improvement District (BID).

For the city’s Christmas Lights Switch On on Thursday, November 22, all three Park and Ride services will run until 9pm at 15-minute intervals.

Operator First Bus will be running a “five for £5 after 4pm” offer, meaning that groups of up to five people can get a return ticket to and from the city for just £5.

Extended late night Park and Ride services will then run from Monday to Saturday throughout December, starting on December 3, offering travel to and from the city centre for just £4 for up to five people in the same car.

They are aligned to the city’s late-night shopping hours and the Christmas ice rink , which opens from December 6 and operates until 9pm. On Sundays in December, the services will run from 10am to 5pm.

All three of the Park and Ride sites offer free parking, electric charging points, along with disabled spaces and parent and child parking.